


simplicity

by yououui



Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Comfort, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Happy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:40:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24501751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yououui/pseuds/yououui
Summary: Cloud has an aversion to bathing. Aerith decides to help him out so he can finally be clean.Cloud huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, looking away. It almost looked like he was pouting. “I’m against baths,” He said stubbornly.“Then you can shower!” Aerith said. “You don’t have to take a bath!”“I’d rather stay dirty,” Cloud mumbled, and now he definitely was pouting.
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife
Comments: 5
Kudos: 107





	simplicity

**Author's Note:**

> From a prompt from agravaile on twitter, based around the cut dialogue from the OG that suggests that Cloud hates baths.
> 
> _I'm against baths._  
>  _Give me dirt or give me death._  
>  _I'm afraid of water..._
> 
> Even though Cloud is naked, this is a family friendly story... sorry.

Aerith sighed happily as she stepped out of the steamy bathroom, freshly washed and dressed in clean pajamas provided by the inn they were resting in. She walked over to Cloud, who was sitting in a chair in the group’s large room, staring out the window with his chin resting in his palm. His fingers tapped idly along his cheeks, obviously bored but not moving to find any kind of entertainment like the rest of the group had done.

He looked up when Aerith walked over to him, watched as she scrunched her damp hair in a towel. It wasn’t often Cloud got to see her impressively long hair out of its twist. It fell over her shoulders and down the length of her back, framed her narrow face, and Cloud briefly had a thought that he’d like to see her hair down more often. He knew that was almost impossible with the journey they were on though; traveling across the grasslands and forests, her hair would certainly be a tangled mess full of sticks and leaves in no time.

Aerith tilted her head and smiled at him. “Your turn to use the bath!” She told him. “Don’t worry, I left a lot of hot water for you.”

Cloud peered behind her at the open bathroom door, then shook his head and looked back out the window. “I’m fine.”

“Eh…” Aerith bent at her waist so she was looking up at his face. “But hasn’t it been a while since you’ve washed up?”

Cloud blinked and looked down into her eyes. He waved her off and she stood up straight, pouting. “Not that long,” He told her with a shrug.

“Cloud…” Aerith sighed, slumping her shoulders. “I say this in the nicest way possible, but… you stink.”

Cloud looked at her, offended. “What? No I don’t.”

“Yeah, you do,” Aerith told him with a sympathetic smile. “I mean, we all do! A nice, refreshing bath is just what we all need. And the innkeeper even said he’ll wash our clothes for us, so we can leave here feeling clean for once!”

Cloud huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, looking away. It almost looked like he was pouting. “I’m against baths,” He said stubbornly.

“Then you can shower!” Aerith said. “You don’t have to take a bath!”

“I’d rather stay dirty,” Cloud mumbled, and now he _definitely_ was pouting.

Aerith blinked at him, surprised. “Huh? Cloud, why on earth would you _want_ to be dirty?”

“I… Don’t like water,” Cloud admitted quietly.

“But… Why not?” Aerith asked him.

“I…” Cloud’s voice died away. He couldn’t quite explain why he detested water so much—or more specifically _bathing_. All he knew was that he would rather stay dirty or die than bathe, but he’d never admit that to Aerith. Of course he knew he had to get clean at some point, and he did what he needed to when the grime got too unbearable, but only the bare minimum. He shook his head and shrugged. “I just don’t, okay?”

“Oh, don’t be silly, Cloud,” Aerith said. “It’s not that bad! There’s nothing to be scared of!”

Cloud frowned at her. “I’m not scared—”

“And besides, it’s not just for my nose’s sake, you know,” Aerith interrupted with a curt nod. “You have to stay clean for your own sake. You need to take care of yourself, Cloud!”

Cloud bit into the inside of his cheek. “I take care of myself just fine.”

They had a bit of a staring match for a moment until Aerith shook her head. “Nope, unacceptable. Come on, mister.” She grabbed Cloud’s hand and yanked him up and out of the chair.

“H-Hey!” Cloud cried as she dragged him across the room.

“It’s not that bad, Cloud!” Aerith said with a comforting smile as she pushed him into the bathroom. “All you have to do is scrub your hair and body with some soap and rinse it off. It’ll take five minutes! Towels and pajamas are under the sink, don’t come out until you’re done!”

Cloud looked at her with pleading, boyish eyes and his brows pinched in a frown, but Aerith shut the door before he could argue. She sat on the edge of the bed to continue drying her hair and waited. She heard some movement from inside the bathroom, the metallic sounds of Cloud’s gloves coming off, and then she heard the water run. She smiled, satisfied with herself, and began humming a happy little tune as she waited.

But then, probably not even a minute later, the water turned off again. Aerith frowned and looked at the door, waiting, and after a moment it opened and Cloud stepped out. He was still completely dressed except for his gloves, only now there was a towel resting over his slightly wet hair. He stopped and looked at her as water dripped from his hair and soaked into his top.

“Happy?” He asked with a shrug.

“No!” Aerith cried, jumping up. “Cloud, you didn’t do _anything!_ ”

“I rinsed my hair,” Cloud told her. “That’s enough.”

“No, it isn’t!” Aerith stomped over to him and put her hands on his chest to push him back into the bathroom. This time she stepped in with him and locked the door behind her. 

“Uh… Aerith?” Cloud asked.

“You’re taking a bath even if it means I have to bathe you myself,” She said with narrowed eyes and her hands on her hips.

“B-But—” Cloud stammered. “You can’t, I’ll be—”

“Don’t worry, I won’t look,” Aerith said as she walked past him to get to the bathtub. “And I’ll put in lots of bubbles so I won’t see anything.”

She stopped the drain and twisted the faucet on before grabbing a bottle of soap and tipping it over into the running water until bubbles began foaming up. She turned to look back at Cloud, who was shifting his weight and fidgeting nervously as he looked at the water slowly filling the tub. In that moment, he really did look like a boy, the fearlessness he carried into battle and the hardness in his eyes melted away over something as simple as a bath. Aerith smiled at him and walked back over to stand in front of him, putting her hands on his arms in comfort.

“I just want to show you that there’s nothing to worry about, okay?” She told him. “All you have to do is sit back and relax. And if you still hate it when it’s over then _fine,_ but at least you’ll be clean. Deal?”

Cloud gulped and looked into her eyes and felt some of his apprehension dissipate. If he focused on her instead of the water, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. She did have a certain way of calming his nerves. Hesitantly, he nodded. 

Aerith grinned and squeezed his arms before letting him go. She walked around him to face her back to him and the tub, covering her eyes with her hands in an extra show of modesty. “I won’t peek. Just let me know when you’re in the tub, okay?” She asked. “Take your time.”

Cloud nodded, then remembering she couldn’t see him, said, “S-Sure.” He turned away from her to change—even with her back to him, it felt strange facing her while he got undressed. He took his sweet time unhooking his belt and pulling off his suspenders. He pulled his shirt over his head and pushed his pants down his legs and, with one look over his shoulder to make sure she really wasn’t peeking, he took off his underwear.

Cloud pushed his clothes against the wall and out of the way and stepped up to the edge of the bathtub. He glared down at the water, his lips pressed into a hard line. Aerith must have used a lot of soap since the bubbles were so high it looked like they might spill over the edge. But… They did make things a bit easier, since Cloud couldn’t actually see the water with them completely covering the surface.

Cloud sucked in a deep breath and lifted one foot to dip his toes in. The water was not scalding but just hot enough to sting. He stepped both feet into the water and stood there for a moment, fighting the urge to jump out immediately. He reminded himself of every brave and dangerous thing he’d ever done in his life as encouragement as he slowly sat down in the water. The bubbles really did cover everything from his belly button down, and he shifted so his legs were extended in front of him as he sat stiffly in the tub.

“Okay,” He called to Aerith. “I’m in.”

Aerith turned around and clasped her hands in front of her in excitement. “See? It’s not so bad!” She told him as she walked over. She turned off the running faucet and sat on the edge of the tub. She grabbed a washcloth and dipped it into the water to wet it before pouring some soap over it. “Just relax, okay?”

Cloud nodded, but he didn’t relax. He sat rigidly in the water, staring pointedly at the faucet in front of him. He flinched when Aerith cupped some water in her hands and poured it over his back, and then she was gently scrubbing the soapy cloth over his skin. Cloud frowned and tried to focus on the feeling of the cloth scratching across his back rather than the water he was sitting in. Aerith stroked the cloth across his shoulders and down the expanse of his back, taking her time to ensure she had washed every inch.

Aerith’s movements stopped around the middle of Cloud’s back, and he felt her fingers lightly brush over the skin there. “This scar…” Aerith said quietly.

Cloud looked down at his chest, where an identical scar marred his skin. Well, maybe it should be considered one scar, now that he thought of it, since both the scar on his chest and back were given to him at the same time by one weapon. “I got it when…” Cloud’s thoughts got fuzzy and he felt a sharp ache in his skull. How did he obtain these scars? When had he been _stabbed…?_

“Cloud?” Aerith asked when he got quiet.

Cloud shook his head. “Got it while working for Shinra,” He told her. “Comes with the job.”

“...Right,” Aerith said, her voice sounding very far away like her thoughts were somewhere else. Without saying anything else about it, she began washing Cloud’s back again.

”It’s pretty ugly,” Cloud murmured. His body was littered with small scars, it was inevitable in his line of work but he paid them no mind. But this scar—the large, ugly scar that he couldn’t even remember getting—looking at it made him feel angry. He hated it.

But, as simply as ever, Aerith said, “No, it’s not. I think scars are beautiful.”

Cloud blinked down at the bubbles. He didn’t understand how she could possibly find this scar beautiful. But then, he thought to himself, that was one of the many wonderful things about Aerith. She could find the beauty in anything. Even him.

Aerith began humming a quiet, dreamy tune, and Cloud’s thoughts drifted from the scar. How many years had it been since he last had a bath? Back when he was a kid, he thought, before he left Nibelheim. He could remember being a child, sitting very much like how he was right now, only it was his mother washing him back then. He’d enjoyed it when he was a child. His mother always put in lots of bubbles, just like Aerith did, and he had toy boats he’d play battleship with. His mom would laugh along and sometimes even play with him until he got pruny and she forced him out of the water.

Even when he got older and his mom stopped bathing him, he could remember willingly taking baths after spending all day outside, playing by himself. He stopped playing with the boats eventually, but he always kept them, would watch them drift along the surface of the water as he sat back and relaxed.

But now… That life was gone. Those toys, that bathtub, his home, his mother. They were taken from him, and so were the comforts of that simple life he took for granted. And Cloud didn’t like to think of it. He wanted to avoid any and all reminders of the home he’d left behind and failed to protect, even if that meant never doing something as seemingly easy as taking a bath.

Now though, at this moment, it didn’t feel so bad. Aerith shifted so she could wash along the sides of Cloud’s neck and down to his chest. Cloud tilted his head to allow her the room and looked up at her. She was smiling slightly, her emerald eyes soft as they followed the path of her hands as they swept the cloth across his skin. It felt easy to sit here with her by his side. It was easy to open up to Aerith, to expose that vulnerable side of himself and allow her to help him.

It reminded him, inevitably, of those moments he didn’t want to dwell on, only now, the memories didn’t hurt quite as much. He looked down at the bubbles and thought of the way his mother would scrub his skin, the same way Aerith was doing now, gently but with enough pressure to ensure all the dirt came off. He thought of the way his mother would tickle him along his ribs until he was kicking and splashing the water with glee, the way his imagination would soar as he pretended he was leading an armada across an ocean.

He missed those days, but he was grateful to have a moment of reminiscing. And as he thought of it, he couldn’t remember the last time he could remember his childhood so clearly.

“Hmm? You’re so quiet,” Aerith said softly. “You okay?”

Cloud blinked, snapping out of his thoughts, and nodded. “I’m fine.”

Aerith scooped some water in her hands to rinse the suds from Cloud’s body. “Finally starting to enjoy it?” She asked with a teasing smile and voice.

“N-No!” Cloud said at once. Honestly, he was beginning to like it; the warmth of the water was nice and feeling Aerith’s gentle hands was even better, but after the fuss he made, he really didn’t want to admit it, more than anything because it was Aerith that made it enjoyable. He’d hate it a lot more if she weren’t there.

She laughed quietly and shook her head. “Well, you’re doing great,” She told him as she picked up his arms to wash them.

She ran the cloth over his armpit and Cloud frowned, his face burning. “Uh…”

“What? Don’t like it?” Aerith asked as she twisted Cloud’s shoulders so she could reach his other arm. “Does it tickle?”

“Just… Kind of embarrassing,” Cloud mumbled, his arm above his head as Aerith washed.

Aerith laughed again and lowered Cloud’s arms. “Here,” She said as she put the cloth into Cloud’s hands. “You wash your legs. I won’t embarrass you more.”

Cloud blinked, then shook his head with a small, amused smile and dipped the cloth under the water to quickly clean his lower half. When he was done, Aerith took the cloth back to wring out the excess water and then put it on the side of the tub.

“All done! Now it’s time to wash those golden locks,” She said as she tugged gently on the ends of Cloud’s hair. She laughed at his stony expression as she ran her hand through the water behind him to clear away some of the bubbles. She cupped her hand around the back of his neck. “Come on, lie back. I promise I won’t let you drown.”

Cloud did as she asked, carefully slipping his body down the length of the tub so he could lean back. Aerith kept a hand on the back of his neck to gently lower him into the water and Cloud shut his eyes instinctively, but none of the water got on his face. Aerith was concentrated and lowered Cloud just enough that most of his hair was submerged. Cloud blinked his eyes open and looked up at her as she pushed back the hair framing his face so it would get wet, too.

“There we go,” Aerith said as she tilted Cloud’s head back just enough to wet the front sections of his hair. “Not so bad.”

She sat Cloud up, keeping her hand over his forehead so none of the water would drip into his eyes. She grabbed the shampoo and poured some directly onto Cloud’s head, making him jump from how cold it was compared to the hot water soaking his hair.

Aerith laughed and began washing Cloud’s hair. She lathered up the shampoo and meticulously washed every bit of Cloud’s head, even behind his ears. When she began softly scratching his scalp with her blunt fingernails, Cloud involuntarily sighed in relief.

“Finally relaxing, are we?” Aerith asked as she continued her ministrations.

Cloud hummed in response without thinking. He was enjoying the feeling of her hands in his hair far too much to try and put up a front. Aerith just laughed quietly by his side and said nothing more to tease him. Cloud sighed again and shut his eyes. He could probably fall asleep like this. It had been a while since he’d felt this relaxed.

He blinked his bleary eyes open when he felt Aerith’s fingers touch his cheek, turning his head towards her. He looked up at her and his lips parted involuntarily. He wasn’t sure why, but there was a feeling of anticipation building in his chest.

And then Aerith grinned and cupped his cheeks with both her hands, which were full of bubbles. She laughed as she pulled her hands away. “Cloud, you look cute with a beard!” She said as she brought some of the bubbles across his upper lip in a fake mustache.

Cloud scrubbed the bubbles away with the back of his hand and sputtered when some got in his mouth. Aerith laughed beside him and helped wipe them away. “Sorry,” She said once the bubbles were gone. “I ruined your peaceful moment, didn’t I?”

Cloud waved his hand flippantly. “Don’t worry,” He told her. She was doing more than she needed to already. She could have her fun.

“Okay, let’s rinse,” She told him. She once again helped him lie back in the tub, this time keeping one hand on his neck while the other rested over his chest, a point of contact Cloud was very aware of. She carefully dipped his hair into the water and used her hands to rinse out all the shampoo, ensuring nothing got into Cloud’s eyes. She sat him back up and picked up a bottle of conditioner. “Almost done.”

Cloud nodded at her and shut his eyes as her hands found his hair again. She carefully brushed her fingers through his hair to untangle any knots. He once again found any stress in his body melting away as she scratched his scalp gently with each pass of her fingers until she had thoroughly coated each strand, and then he followed her lead as she rinsed his hair one more time.

“And there!” Aerith said as she sat Cloud back up. “All done. And painless!”

Cloud nodded, looking down at the bubbles that were slowly disappearing. His hair dripped cooling water down his shoulders. Without looking at Aerith, he murmured, “...Thanks.”

Aerith was quiet for a moment before saying, “You know I’ll always be here if you need help… right?”

Cloud blinked and looked up at her. She offered him a small, reassuring smile and he nodded at her. He knew. Aerith was selfless and kind and would help anyone she could, even if it meant putting herself last. Sometimes it scared Cloud, made him worry she would do something drastic or put herself in danger, but at times like this, he was grateful.

“Okay,” Aerith said as she stood up from the edge of the bath. “I’ll leave you to get dressed, then!”

Aerith turned and walked out of the bathroom, closing the door gently behind her. Luckily, no one else was back yet, which she was thankful for. It might be a bit awkward explaining why she and Cloud were in the bathroom together, after all. She grabbed a hairbrush and then her ribbon and Materia and sat down in the chair Cloud had previously occupied to begin twisting her now dry hair. She tied her hair back with the ribbon, carefully tying the bow around the Materia securely as she had done almost her entire life.

As she pulled her hair over her shoulder to begin twisting it, the bathroom door opened and Cloud stepped out. She smiled; he looked awfully adorable with his wet hair plastered to his face instead of standing up in spikes, and even more so in the loose pajamas, which made him look so youthful compared to his usual uniform. He had his clothes in his hands.

“If you leave your clothes in the basket in the hall, the innkeeper will wash them,” She told him.

He nodded and disappeared out the door for a moment, returning only holding his belt and suspenders. He dropped the leather on the dresser and sat down on the edge of the bed. He ruffled his hand over his hair and shook his head back and forth like a dog.

“Cloud!” Aerith said in a scolding tone. “You’re going to make your hair all messy!”

She finished tying her twist and picked up the hairbrush. She walked over to Cloud and sat beside him, swatting his hand away so she could run the brush through his hair. “It’s fine,” Cloud tried to say, although he didn’t move away from her. “It dries the same way no matter what I do.”

“Doesn’t mean you should shake the water out like a puppy,” Aerith told him. He was right though; his hair was already beginning to dry to its usual shape as she brushed it. She passed the brush through his hair one more time. “Your hair is so pretty.”

Cloud swallowed. “Uh… Not really…” He mumbled.

“Don’t be a silly goose,” Aerith said as she lightly slapped his arm with the back of the brush. “It is!”

“Um… Thanks,” Cloud said with a little nod as his eyes skirted away. Aerith giggled and stood up to put the brush back in its place, but Cloud’s voice stopped her. “I think your hair’s way prettier than mine.”

Aerith turned to look back at Cloud, surprised by the sudden compliment. Cloud, as if also surprised that he said it, looked away from her immediately with an awkward little “Uhh…”

Aerith laughed behind her hand and shook her head. “Thank you, Cloud,” She told him. She put the brush away and walked back over to him. “Do you wanna know why it’s so pretty? Because… I wash it!”

Cloud gave her a deadpan stare. “Hah, hah,” He laughed mockingly.

Aerith sat on the bed next to him and leaned back on her hands. “It really wasn’t that bad, right?”

 _Only because you were there,_ Cloud thought. Instead of admitting that to her though, he simply nodded. “I guess,” He told her.

“And don’t think I’ll let you get away with not bathing again,” Aerith said to him. “I’ll give you a bath at every opportunity we get if I have to.”

Cloud didn’t mind, not really. Not if it meant he got to feel Aerith’s hands shampooing his hair again. He’d brave the water just for that short moment of peace. Once again, Cloud didn’t voice this to her. He didn’t want to seem too eager for bathtime. 

Instead, said, “Yes, ma’am,” and silently looked forward to the next moment of simplicity and peace he could share with her.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! come scream about how much you love them with me
> 
> [twitter](https://www.twitter.com/yououuii)  
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